So by now, most people who had made a fleeting fitness New Year’s resolution would have given up (if you haven’t good for you!). I on the other hand, have made another type of resolution that I’m sharing with you all in hopes to keep me honest and get me through to fulfilling them before the end of the year.
I want to cook several things this year, wait let me rephrase that, I want to cook several things really well this year. I may or may not have made them before and it might seem like simple humble items but they make a good basis for a classic cooking repertoire.
1) a bread like object
There are so many different types of bread, I’m not going to limit myself just to one. I’ve never worked with yeast before, but I love the smell of fresh bread (who doesn’t) and tasting warm bread with real butter is absolutely divine. If you have any recipes or tips that would be great!
2) a curry
I love a good chicken curry but if I can, I want to make a flavoursome tender red meat curry that basically falls apart as you put a spoon through it.
3) pancakes
it might seem weird but I’ve never made a successful pancake outside of the pre-mixed shaker containers. It has always been my dirty little secret as a foodie, but with Shrove Tuesday coming up, there is no time like present.
4) tarts
After my love of making cupcakes and my failure of making macarons (which TimmyC has definitely made up for), my next big love was going to be making tarts. I have made some but haven’t gotten around to getting to the perfect recipe. I think tarts are gorgeous, delicious and very instagramable.
5) ice cream/sorbet
My lovely sister gave me the ice cream Kitchenaid attachment possibly two/three years ago now and I’ve never done anything with it. In my defense, that was roughly when I met Mr Frugii and my need for ice cream was taken care of. I should really throw that thing in the freezer so when the feeling arises I can make ice cream straight away without delay.
There are probably other things that I also want to make but these 5 resolutions are a good start. If you have any ‘fool proof’ recipes that you would like to share, that would be super handy. Have you made any resolutions this year?
TALES OF A CONFECTIONIST 
Oh good luck! I got a thermomix last year and am moving in to my own place in the next few months (where I will be allowed to use it, which I am currently not at my Mother’s house) – I have a list like this of things I want to try and make. Bread and sorbet/ice cream are on my list too 🙂
Ooooh how exciting for your Erin! Let me know how you go with your list.
How fancy that you have the thermomix, maybe you can do some video demonstrations
^_^
Hi! I have been making bread since I was 19 and when I discovered Dan Lepard’s way of making bread it changed everything for me. I don’t bake white bread all that often because I bake what I can’t find – that is, a dense rye/ wholemeal caraway seed bread that’s great for gravalax etc. But I can’t recommend highly enough the following recipe and video.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/10/bake-your-own-bread
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/australia-food-blog/video/2013/aug/06/baking-dan-lepard-bread-video
The flour he suggests using I buy at Dickson Health Foods but I’m sure other health shops have it especially the one in Griffith shops (Mountain Creek). Another Dan method is to mix the ingredients together in the bowl, then leave it covered for 10 minutes. Pour a scant tablespoon of oil on to the work surface and rub it out to cover an area about 30cm in diameter. Rub a little oil on your hands and over the top of the dough, then scoop it out of the bowl and on to the work surface. Lightly fold the dough in by half towards you, press it down with the heel of your hand, lift and rotate the dough an eighth of a turn and repeat the folding and turning.
Do this very quickly, about eight to 10 times, and take no more than 8-10 seconds in total. Pick the dough up and flip it back into the bowl, cover it and leave it for 10 minutes. Repeat kneading twice more at 10-minute intervals, then follow the recipe. I follow this kneading method for every bread I make.The Guardian food website also has Dan’s other bread recipes.
And go to it. No machines necessary. You’ll get to know the dough and how it behaves by using your hands. And remember dough takes longer to rise as the winter approaches. 17-23C is ideal. A baking hot day like 30+ not so good! Cheers.
Thanks for all the tips Hannah! It really helps when you get helpful insights before starting something like this
^_^
I’ll have no excuse but to make bread now
Well all the best. It sounds like great idea. I wonder if there will be some difficulty, given that you’ve eaten out quite a lot. I know my pancakes, no matter how often I make them, will never be “professional”. Do you think the inevitable comparisons will drive to try harder in the kitchen or drive you to despair?
My resolution is a little broader. I try to dedicate the year to something. I’ve done the eating and exercising, music and trying to spend less. This year, its Liveability (deliberately spelled with the “e”). So far, so good.
Oh good for you with your resolutions, I like how you change it up every year. I feel that everyone tries to do multiple things from different facets of their life and it doesn’t usually work out too well.
Some parts of me will be comparing my cooking to what I’ve eaten in restaurants (trust me I was experiencing that today) but it’ll probably drive me to try harder and if it doesn’t work out, I know I which venue/restaurant I can go to and drown my sorrows in bread/curry/pancakes/tarts/ice cream
😉
I too cannot cook pancakes! I don’t know what it is, but I mess them up every time 😦 I used to struggle with bread too, but I have some fairly fool proof recipes on the blog now, feel free to have a squiz.
I wanted to pop by and let you know that I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award in my latest post. Please don’t feel obligated to participate, as I know it can be the kind of thing that people either love or hate. It’s been going around for a while, so you may have already been nominated in the past.
Good luck with your cooking resolutions!
That makes me feel a thousand times better that you can’t make pancakes either because I’ve seen the wondering things that you cook
Thanks Taryn, fool proof recipe is definitely what I need!
Yes, I’ve been nominated for that before but I haven’t gotten around to completing it, I’m always behind on my blog and I feel like I’m constantly chasing my tail. So there might be some delay but I’ll endeavour to getting around to it, your questions look interesting
1) Bread isn’t that hard, just time consuming. In keeping with the season this is a great hot cross bun recipe – just triple the spices! http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/22254/hot+cross+buns?ref=collections,hot-cross-buns
2) I always cheat and use Sharwood’s curry paste – so no help there!
3) My base pancake recipe is a cup of SR flour, a cup of milk and an egg. Seriously, that is it. But if you want something a bit more flash try my sour cream and orange pancakes: http://blithemoments.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/sour-cream-and-orange-pancakes-with.html/
4) Give me a couple of weeks and I will blog my mango tart!
5) This blackberry sorbet is delicious. I add cointreau: http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlackberrySorbet.html
Have fun!!!
I love this Lisa!
I’ve just started browsing through your blog and I’m loving this recipe tab! This is the direction I wanted to take my blog into!
Thanks for the tips, I’ll definitely be trying that pancake recipe and I’m looking forward to that mango tart blog
Great selection! And good luck! My resolutions (hmmm that I seem to not get around to and repeat every year) are croissants and anything with fish.
Ooooh let me know how you go with croissants, you’ll get a good work out with your arms with all that laminating
My favourite fish dish (besides fish and chips) will always be steamed whole fish with ginger and shallots. You wouldn’t think I would finish it, but I always manage to
That whole fish dish sounds so delish! My main reservation with making my own croissants is the amount of butter I’ll know goes in it. I mean I know it’s a lot, but to actually see it all go in there….. Sure I’ll get over it!
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